Tom's Workbench » Experiences

Get Woodworking Week: Tuesday

Tom — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:32:08 +0000

OK, everyone, it’s day THREE of Get Woodworking Week, and the posts keep coming in! I think we’re starting to generate a little bit of excitement out there. Now, remember, Get Woodworking Week works when we spread the word, so take some time this week to talk to others about the craft. Not sure what to say? Either was I when I spoke in front of my sons’ classes the past few years. Here are the videos of those events:

This was from my 2011 trip to the schools

And, this was from 2010.

Here are some of the blog posts that came in yesterday. I hope you enjoy reading them!

Digital Woodworker: Getting started in woodworking – Tools with a Japanese flair
Stu’s Shed: Colour my (shed) world
Woodshop Demos: Analysis paralysis
The School of Wood: There’s a hole in the bucket! Getting started woodworking with hand tools.
The Wood Whisperer: How to install a drawer knob
The Woodwork Guy: The one-weekend bookcase
A Slice of Wood Workshop: What to Build?

###

Similar Posts:

Get to the guild!

Tom — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:19:20 +0000

Now that we are in Get Woodworking Week, I guess the first question many new woodworkers may have is, “Where could I begin?” Sure, there are plenty of websites to check out. Your library has tons of books. You can always go out to a local home improvement center or – if your town has one – a specialty woodworking store for more information.

But, there’s nothing like getting some face time with other woodworkers. Someplace where you can find a few other experienced woodworkers and ask them how they got started, where they can get wood for cheap or which tools are the best for the beginning woodworker.

When it comes to finding those folks, there’s just one bit of advice – get thee to a guild. Or a club.. there’s nothing wrong with those either.

In most civilized areas of the world, you will find folks with similar interests who have banded together to share the experience with others. Mom’s clubs. Biking clubs. Tennis clubs. Golf clubs – YES, pun intended! Just try asking around at your local library, hardwood store, woodworking store or community center. You’d be surprised how many woodworking clubs or guilds there are.

For instance, I was recently invited to attend a meeting of the St. Petersburg Woodcrafters’ Guild. For several years now, the folks at SPWG have been reading and commenting on my blog posts, and I was asked if perhaps it might be time to meet up. Not sure what to expect, I loaded my contemplation bench into the car, brought some business cards and headed on down to a local Lutheran church for the meeting.

When I got there, I was totally impressed. There must have been about 60 woodworkers gathered in the meeting hall. The age of the attendees was a very good mix – some as young as their mid-20′s through veterans who had a few years under their belts. There was excitement in the air – the excitement of friends who were meeting again to brag about some of their successes and ask lots of questions about how to do certain tasks.

President Joe Pettit called the meeting to order, and there was some business to attend to. The SPWG is a registered non-profit organization that has by-laws, and – as with any other similar body, there were financial reports, membership reports, updates on previous activities and future business that had to be conducted. The discussion then turned to introduction of guests and – my favorite part – show and tell. Since this was the first meeting of the year, holiday projects for children and grandchildren many states away were shown proudly. Questions about building and finishing techniques were asked, and each member showing his or her experiences.

Within maybe 20 minutes, all of the business had been handled, and there was going to be a rather longish break. I was wishing the meeting would keep going on, but it was then that I discovered the real purpose of the guild meetings. Everyone got out of their chairs and started talking with other members about tools, wood and their shops. I could overhear several members asking others about the challenges they were facing, and getting several good suggestions on how to overcome them. I spoke at length with several woodworkers about their woodworking. Some were turners. Others worked extensively with veneer. Still more were scrollers. Marquetry. Band saw experts. Cabinetmakers. Chair builders. If there was a specialty, someone covered it.

The last part of the meeting was a discussion about the work the guild was doing at the Folk Festival, and old hand tools in general. We had a chance to go hands on with a beetle and froe, spokeshave and hosts of old hand planes that had been lovingly restored.

By the time the meeting broke up, I was energized – ready to get out to the shop and try some new techniques.

So, if you are interested in getting into woodworking, ask around and find a local club or guild. You’d be surprised how much that can help you on your path to woodworking success.

Oh, and here are some articles about Get Woodworking Week you may want to check out:

Short Bus Woodworking: Get Woodworking Week – Pocket Holes?
Tumblewood: Get Woodworking Week is here. Get to it!
Woodworking in Paris: La semaine Get Woodworking du 5 au 12 fevrier… (en Francais)
Close Grain: Jim Kingshott’s DVDs and Books
Ravinheart Renditions: Get Woodworking Week 2012
Uppercut Woodworks: Video Post #10: Get Woodworking Week with Red Toolbox Kits

Similar Posts:

Try something new

Tom — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:18:18 +0000

The weather was gorgeous this past weekend – even better than normal. I was shaking off the remnants of a cold and needed to get out of the house for a while to stretch my legs. What could we do? A trip to the beach? Ehhh, we’ve done that before. How about a romp in the park? Fun, but we’d only be there for a little bit of time.

How about doing something we’ve never done as a family, and go to the Heritage Village Folk Festival? Now we’re talking!

I’ve worked for the Pinellas County government for 18 years now, and Heritage Village is owned and operated by the government. They’ve held the Folk Festival for years, but for some reason, the idea of folk music didn’t do it for me. They also have traditional crafting demonstrations, but there’s only so much work on the loom you can stand. And, when you’ve seen a few meticulously-restored Model A Fords, well, they start to blend together. The kids really dig that they had kettle corn, so, that was a draw…

But, that was it. I had never gone to the event… Even though I live about a five minute bike ride away…

This year was different. I had been in touch with the folks at the St. Petersburg Woodcrafter’s Guild (more is coming on them… believe me!) about possibly participating in the event, and I heard they worked out a deal to be there to show the craft. SCHWEET!

So, we walked around, taking in the beaming sunshine, fresh air and twanging sounds of folk music. We stopped in a few historical homes to take a peek, and when we got to the Harris School, the banner for the guild was hanging proudly. Ahhh, here we were!

We went into the one-room schoolhouse, which normally has period desks lined up in rows. Instead, the desks were removed and the building was converted into one sweet hand tool shop for a day.

Members of the guild were there showing off several period tools – a spring pole lathe, a shaving horse, smoothing planes… the works. Each of the stations had a few guild members helping visitors get a handle on what was going on in the shop.

My son Steven got a chance to handle a sweet smoothing plane. I think he’s a little short to get the maximum effect.

Dominic was the man behind the spring pole lathe, getting some good direction on how to use the turning tools. The boy is a natural!

And, me? Well, giddayup! I was working the shaving horse… for the first time ever. That oak never stood a chance!

During the 20 minutes at the Harris School, I learned a few things:

This was the first time the St. Petersburg Woodcrafters’ Guild ever came to an event at Heritage Village. Judging from the pile of sawdust, shavings and other wood scraps on the floor, I’d say they had been very busy – and we all know, a busy shop is a popular shop!

Secondly, the folks at the guild are knowledgeable about what they are doing, and they can communicate that clearly to visitors… Perhaps we can see some new woodworkers after this weekend?

And, finally, trying new stuff in woodworking? It totally kicks butt. That was a blast to get on the shaving horse, and I can see why people like that so much. Heck, I may have to build my own…

After our trip to the Harris School, we walked around the grounds for a while, and yes, we bought the boys their kettle corn. As we were heading out, we passed by the Harris School again. Amazingly, there was a line of people waiting to get into the building. As I walked past, I smiled. Woodworking was definitely alive and well in Heritage Village that afternoon.

Similar Posts:

Less than a month away…

Tom — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:22:10 +0000

Can you believe it? Get Woodworking week is now less than one month away! I’m so excited, I can hardly contain myself…

Well, maybe I need to learn how to contain myself just a little bit. Anyway, I wanted to get you into the mood by listing a few resources you might want to check out for woodworkers just starting out. At these sites, you will find all sorts of advice, plans, tool reviews and technique articles to get you motivated to get into the shop and try your hand at woodworking.

Wood Magazine’s Basic Built Series: This is is Wood Magazine’s initiative to provide simple, yet high-quality woodworking projects that can be completed with a minimum number of tools and skills. This site covers a wide array of topics – from how to find furniture worthy wood to where to find the best deals on tools. The inexpensive projects offered run the gamut from shop fixtures to tables, seating and casework.

Popular Woodworking’s I Can Do That: In every issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine, the “I Can Do That” column features projects that can be completed by any woodworker with a modest (but decent) kit of tools in less than two days of shop time, and using raw materials that are available at any home center. Be sure to download their .PDF manual first before you get a start on things.

New To Woodworking: Marc Spagnuolo, the Wood Whisperer, understands that it’s OK to be a Noob. That’s why he put together this impressive site for the up and coming woodworker. He’s sorted through his site and found the best articles on shop set up, technique and projects with build-along videos.

NewWoodworker.com: Tom Hintz is no longer a new woodworker, but, believe me, his site will help steer any new woodworker in the right direction. Before you buy a new tool or select a spot for your shop, be sure to pay this site a visit and soak in the knowledge.

Now, this is by no means a complete list of sites. In fact, if you are aware of any others, be sure to list them in the comments below this article. This way, I can add them to this list to build a resource of sites geared toward the new woodworker.

Also, be sure to check the blogs listed to the right of this post. Each of those are the sites of bloggers I have been in touch with – either in person or online – who do some outstanding work. I have asked for their help for the week, and most of them have said they are game. As they post articles on their sites, I will also link to them on a dedicated get woodworking page on my site.

The best part about Get Woodworking Week is that we’re going to make an active effort to get folks off the sideline and help them find the sawdust in their veins. We’ll all be better off with new folks who get out there and show us what they’ve got.

Similar Posts:

Well, that was awkward…

Tom — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:06:04 +0000

For those of you who signed on very early this morning, you saw the link of the week taking you to a different site. Something about a dovetail jig review site. In my zeal to provide you information about dovetail jigs, I grabbed that one and posted it today.

Boy, was I shamefaced when Stuart of Toolguyd.com wrote me a note pointing out something I should have seen all along… the site is – how shall I put this – less that reputable.

Basically, what the site’s author had done was to copy and paste a great deal of background information about dovetail joints from Wikipedia to the site, with a number of links his Amazon affiliate site. He also copied and pasted many of the user reviews from Amazon and listed them. Of course, the big drive was to have unsuspecting woodworkers (like me) Google, check out the info and then click through to buy the jig, netting the site owner cash. Marc Spagnuolo of the Wood Whisperer’s site pointed out that these types of sites are commonly known as ‘link farms’, and with the amount of content he puts out, he has to watch the web carefully to ensure his material isn’t being used for this purpose.

It’s a very deceptive way for someone to set up a site, making money on the work of others without their knowledge or permission.

How can you tell if you are on one of these sites? Both Stuart and Marc told me to check the site’s content against the Wikipedia entry – if it is lifted word for word, you know someone’s not doing their homework.

Also, look for an excessive number of affiliate links all over the page. On the page for one dovetail jig alone, there were eight links back to Amazon to that one product. On ONE page.

Was this the only site out there doing this? Nope. There are many sites out there misappropriating online content for their shady dealings. I addressed similar sites in my Monkey Business article at Wood Magazine, and Steve Ramsey did an awesome video about fighting online piracy at his Woodworking for Mere Mortals site.

The current link of the week takes you to the About.com site on dovetail basics – an awesome read.

As for me, I want to apologize for posting that first link today. This isn’t the first time I’ve made an ass of myself on my blog, but I’m hoping it will be the last.

Similar Posts:

Learning to cope

Iggy — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:15:26 +0000

OK, so take a look at this, and tell me what you see?

An apple core, or two faces staring at each other?

How about now?

Is it the face of a young lady, or a musician?

Now, look at this and see if you can figure out what happened….

That’s right.. Tom made another boneheaded move. You see, he was so busy looking at the shape of the cutter, he failed to realize that it actually cuts the negative… So, of course, he put the cope cut on the end of the rails…

Fortunately, I broke into peals of laughter, and the boy stopped before he did any more damage. Nothing hurt… except his pride. And some wood. And, he lost about an hour of shop time doing things wrong.

After he shame-facedly admitted his error, Tom fixed the issue and things are back on track. In fact, they are looking good.

Which goes to prove a point – even though Tom has made a bunch of errors this year, he’s prone to make them again and again. That’s OK, I think we’ll keep him…
Similar Posts:

“We’re only a part of it…”

Tom — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:12:16 +0000

This time of the year, everyone likes to take a peek over their shoulder to see how far they have come over the past 12 months. The kids are a little older. You are really starting to appreciate the home improvements you made in the spring.

And, as woodworkers, we see just how far our skills have advanced.

“I think it’s only natural for folks to see how they have progressed through the year,” said Eric Poirier of Bell Forest Products. “Whether it was that first veneer job, the cradle you built for your grandchild or that chair you built that doesn’t wobble – each project is a great accomplishment for you to celebrate.”

While we tend to look only at our progress, Eric and the folks at Bell Forest Products have an interesting perspective. “When someone looks back at his or her woodworking accomplishments, that’s good. Then there is the joy we find in looking at the successes of our customers… and we are floored.”

That’s the reason why the company proudly features a customer gallery on their site. “The idea started when some of our customers wanted to show off what they had done with the wood they ordered. We thought, ‘what the heck?’ and posted a few of them online. Since then, the gallery has grown to one impressive collection.”

And, what a collection it is. Guitars. Tables. Chairs. Pens. Floors. “If it can be built out of wood, you’re bound to find a photo of it in the collection. I am impressed with the creativity shown by our customers. The wood is spectacular, but we are only part of it. It’s that skill that takes the projects to new heights.”

Eric confessed that he often looks at the project photos for inspiration. “When we are rough milling the boards in our workshop and warehouse, it’s easy to see the wood as just a commodity – something like paint or butter or pillows. But, when you see the results of someone taking the time and care to carefully craft a work of art out of it, that makes our work a little more interesting.“

While there are many pieces on the site that will take your breath away, some really stick out for Eric. “I am a big fan of functional furniture – so I really enjoy seeing custom built pieces using highly figured wood. Our customers are very talented, and they do a great job selecting and utilizing these unique pieces. I enjoy seeing contrasting woods, figured accents, and live-edge slabs. The projects that are most special to me are probably the ones where I hunted down a specific piece of wood for a customer for their project. Several projects that come to mind are:

Jeff Baenen’s Talon box

Brian Tracey’s Roubo vise

Diane Slobotkin’s sculpture

David Palmieri’s mantle shelf

Todd Spooner’s cabinets

Tom Iovino’s trestle bench!

If Bell Forest Products stopped taking photo submissions today, the collection would be impressive. “But, we’d miss the excitement of opening those e-mails from our customers and seeing what they have done. What has been built is something to look at, but we’re most excited about those projects yet to come. Who knows what is cooking in each of our customer’s shops? I just can’t wait to see what’s next!”

“From the folks here at Bell Forest Products, we want to wish all of you a very happy and healthy holiday season with visions of sugar maples – and other woods – dancing in your heads!”
Similar Posts:

The Shop Monkey returns for more!

Tom — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:29:49 +0000

Oh, yes, it was SO good in 2010, you know I just had to come back for more! I just can’t get enough of the Great American Teach In… even though some of the questions were a little more pointed…

My day began last Thursday by driving my youngest son in to his school, where they had some great coffee. Jet fuel for the soul. There, I delivered three talks to two fifth grade and one fourth grade classes. Unlike last year, where I just spoke about tools, this year I cut several samples of joints, showed how they worked together and even showed off my blog.

After the third session at my youngest son’s school, I packed up my materials and headed down the road a ways to my oldest son’s middle school. I was surprised when I got there that I had a lot of time available before my first class… and I was going to be fed lunch. The food was delicious, but it was a little intimidating being in a room with about a dozen SWAT officers from the Pinellas Park Police Department.

After I ate, a student helped guide me down the hallway to where I set up for my next classes – the science lab. It was a great room with plenty of space for me to spread my stuff out and really get into things. I also set up my little video camera and had my son Dominic operate it. Yes, you can hear him piping up from time to time during the talk.

After a full day of seven classes, working with more than 300 kids, I was totally whipped. Next year, I need to wear my athletic shoes and bring some Advil.

Now, after talking about tools and joinery, I’m going to have to find another topic to talk about next year…. But, at least I have a full year to think about it.

Similar Posts:

The most interesting question of the day

Tom — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 11:19:44 +0000

So, yesterday, I spent the day going around to my two son’s schools to talk about woodworking at the Great American Teach In. And, for the most part, I had a great time. Talking to seven classes and more than 300 kids about joinery was a blast.

For the most part.

There was this one student. After I had spent the better part of an hour explaining how joinery, glue, nails, screws and dovetails worked, she piped up and asked me, “Why do I need to learn this ‘stuff?’” Only, the word she used was a little stronger.

While this was obviously done for effect, it did leave me wondering what I was bringing to the kids.

I mean, most of them were never going to get involved in woodworking. The only contact that many of them would have with wood would probably be a few chairs, a table or some other pieces of furniture. What the hell was I trying to communicate?

I stammered. I struggled. Then, six hours later, it struck me like a bolt out of the blue.

What does a twelve year old kid know about life?

When I was twelve, my life revolved around the New York Giants, the books I had read and the TV show M*A*S*H*. I had a few close friends, didn’t particularly care for girls and had yet to decide what I wanted to do when I grew up. Maybe an astronaut. Maybe a race car driver. Maybe a cop.

Since that time, I have seen so much more. High School. College. Girlfriends. Trips to different cities. Building a resume. Reading books. Watching the Internet grow. Getting married. Playing golf for the first time. My children. And, discovering woodworking, a hobby that I enjoy tremendously.

When I was twelve, I’m sure I knew everything there was to know in the world. I had it all together. If, at that time, I was never exposed to new things, how poor the quality of my life would be. How narrow my focus.

She asked the question not because she was being sassy, but because she had yet to see the world beyond her small sphere of influence. My job yesterday wasn’t to get the kids jacked up about starting to woodwork on their own (although, I am sure that some will be for sure), but it was to show them something else worth seeing in life. To expand their perspectives.

Yeah, it was a challenging question. But, for sure, my job wasn’t to provide answers. Those will come for those kids later in life.
Similar Posts:

Full of life!

Tom — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:14:33 +0000

I love going to get my hair cut. With my short ‘do, I need to do it quite a bit.

Why is it so enjoyable? Well, I get to wake up early and head to the barber by myself (most times) on a Saturday morning. I get to crack some funny jokes with the barbers while they snip customers’ hair. I get to stop at the local bagel place and pick up breakfast for everyone – before they wake up!

And, I get to swing by the local pharmacy to buy a pack of my favorite mints while getting some cash out for the cut. Yes, I loves me some peppermint Mentos!

I don’t know why I am so addicted to these soft and chewy peppermints. Maybe its the nostalgia angle… I used to buy these when I grew up in Jersey. Maybe it’s the fact that you can make them do incredible things when you drop them into Diet Coke.

Quite possibly, it’s the infectious jingle that went with every ad. Mentos – fresh and full of life. Even if I jabbed a carving fork through my eye, I could never get that out of my head.

Why bring that up now? Well, since my post about online woodworking being dead, it would seem that quite the opposite is happening.In fact, you could say that online woodworking is fresh and full of new life!

Mark your calendars for tonight (Wednesday, Nov. 2) at 9 p.m. Eastern (that’s 8 p.m. in the Central time zone and 6 p.m. in the Pacific). That’s when you will see the triumphant return of #Woodchat! What the heck is #woodchat? It’s a Twitter-based discussion on all things woodworking. Yes, you may have seen this in the past, and it was good, but it’s back – and we’re back with a team approach. Folks like Dyami Plotke, Matt Gradwhol, Vic Hubbard, Chris Adkins and Dale Osowski are all on board, helping to spread the moderating duties in order to keep Woodchat a vibrant event.

While you can play along on your twitter page, it might be easier if you use a Twitter chat website such as Tweetchat. Just click on that link, and you will be able to see the conversation as it develops (while avoiding all the nonsense tweets about the Kim Kardashian wedding fallout).

And, I know this is kind of early, but now is also the time to mark your calendars for the week of February 5, 2012. For years, people have bemoaned the loss of shop classes and have questioned the future of woodworking. Well, this once-considered-dead online woodworking community is doing something about that as well. That week, I am lining up support among the online blogging and woodworking forum communities to bring you a week based around getting to the shop. We’re tentatively calling it Let’s Woodwork Week.

The purpose of this event is simple – encourage potential woodworkers to dip their collective toes into the water to see what it’s really like to build. Some writers will focus on the basic tools needed to get started in woodworking. Others may focus on basic projects that someone with beginners skills can tackle. Others may showcase some one-on-one training they are doing with some budding woodworkers. It doesn’t matter… The whole idea is to focus our energies to get people out and get them working!

I dunno, but if I was a betting man, I’d say the reports of online woodworking’s demise were greatly exaggerated. There’s a lot of spunk out there.. and I think we can tap into it!

Similar Posts: